Baby-walker.



No. 642,435. Patented 1an. so, |900. E. FmNHABER. K BABY WALKER.

(Application led Sept. 12, 1899.) (No Model.) 2.SheetsV-Sheet Al.

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No. 642,435. P'atented 1an. 30, |900. E. FIRNHABER.

BABY WALKER.

(Application ledrSapt, 12, 1899.) (no nodal.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

e l l Neffen STATES PATENT Grafen.

EDVARD FIRNHABER, OF WORMS, NEBRASI'L BABY-WALKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,435, dated January 30, 19O0.

Application filed. September 12, 1899. Serial No. 730,254. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

' Be it known that I, EDWARD FIRNHABER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worms, in the county of Merrick and State of Nebraska, have invented a-new and useful Baby-Walker, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to a baby-walker, and has for its objects to provide a simple and efficient device of this character whereby a baby may be taught to walk and to move within a predetermined confinement without annoyance or irritation and in such a manner as to afford convenience to the nurse or attendant and without requiring strict watchfulness to prevent the baby o r child from becoming hurt, as in the class of similar devices freely movable over the door or other surface, and also to provide a device of this character having separable track members adapted to be quickly set up for use or disassociated for the purpose of storage and on which a particular form of carriage has movement. e

"With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The invention is subject to a wide range of modification within the scope of the same, but the preferred embodiment of the improvement is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a -perspective view of a babywalker set up in operative position and embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a carriage used in connection with the improved device. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken through a part of the carriage and one of the rollers. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of portions of rails, showing the manner of coupling the same. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the rails at a point where one of the legs connect therewith.

Referring to the drawings,the numeral 1 designates rail-sections, each comprising lengths of tubular rails 2, having reduced stems 3 at one end, as clearly shown by Fig. 4, adapted to enter the openings 4 in the contiguous ends of the rails of the adjacent section and be secured against accidental separation by setscrews 5. As shown in the accompanying drawings, four of the rail-sections 1 are employed to provide an oblong endless track, and one end of each tubular rail 2 is curved, as at 6, and is joined toacorresponding curved portion of an adjacent rail. It will also be understood that the stems 3 are alternately arranged on the ends of the rail-sections, so as to contribute largely to the convenience of connecting up the several rail-sections and producingthe endless track. At an intermediate point each tubular rail 2 'on its under portion has a depending socket 7, and said sockets are so positioned on the companion rails of eachA section that they will stand directly in transverse alinement to receive the terminals of inverted-U-shaped legs 8, which are of equal length throughout the entire apparatus and support the continuous track at a uniform elevation. The terminals of the legs 8 are removable from' the rail-sections 2, but when in operative relation therein will be prevented from becoming accidentally disengaged by making the sockets 7 long enough to overcome any such tendency. The removability of the legs 8 provides for a reduction of the apparatus to a small compass for storage or transportation, and in view of the fact that the track members 2 have a similar contour and are also of like construction less expense will be incurred in their manufacture, and their sale price will also be materially reduced. e

The carriage 9 comprises an upper surrounding rim 10, having a rear seat 11, and in advance of the front edge of said seat an opening 12 is provided and extends downwardly through a lower depending guardframe 13, which is of less extent rearwardly than the railing 10 and when in operating pos ition on the track set forth almost touches the oor or other surface on which the said track has bearing, but is high enough to pass over the cross members at the base. of the legs 8. This guard-frame 13 is open and light of structure; but the open-work is of such dimension that the baby or child using the carriage cannot make an exit there; through. The rear of the railing 10 around the seat 11 is curved to afford a comfortable IOO rest for the baby or child when in sitting posture, and to the front upper portion of the carriage is adapted to be attached a tray 14 to receive, as will be understood, toys or other amusing devices for the child or baby.

' By locating the said tray 14 at the front and across. The front axle 17 is made fastto opposite posts 1S at the corners of the railing 10,

and the rear axle is secured tothe under side of the seat 11 by staples 19 or other analogous fastcnings, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Each of the rollers 15 is circumferentially grooved for a considerable depth, as at 20, to prevent them from running off or becoming disconnected from the tubular rails, and to deaden the sound of movement of the rollers over the saidrails and also provide a yielding movement for the carriage as an entirety rubber or other analogous gaskets 2l'surrou nd the inner curved portions of the grooves of the rollers. The transverse extent of the grooves 20 is in excess of the diameter of the rails, so as to prevent frictional binding of the said rollers on the rails, particularly in rounding the curves at the ends of the track.

In arranging the device for operation the several track-sections are set up, 3S shown in Fig. 1, and the carriage is inserted between the opposite rails, so that the rollers 15 will t over the latter. When the carriage is so positioned, the depending guard-frame 13 will be suspended, and in the use of the device by a baby or child the upper ODPOSite portions of 'the railing 10 are grasped and afford means of support during the body action in the attempt to walk or during movement after the baby or child has learned to walk. The movement of the baby or child causes the carriage to traverse the rails and provides an amusement as well as strengthens the body by muscular action and particularly encourages self-reliance. At any time the baby or child can reset by sitting on the seat 11, and in addition to the special purpose for which the improved device is designed it may also be used at times as a mode of amusement for children capable of walking. The railing 10, .as well as the depending guard-frame 13, prevents a baby or child under ordinary conditions from getting out of the carriage, and to this may also be added the attractiveness and novelty of a device which will absorb the attention of the baby or child and overcome any desire to crawl out. A safe means is thus provided for shielding the baby or child against accident, and the carriage containing the child may be left without fear of danger, and thereby provide means for the nursery amusement of a child without requiring the constant care of a nurse or other attendant. assembled and it and the carriage stored in the small compass.

vChanges in the form,proportions,and minor details Aof construction can be resorted to without in the least departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a babywalker adapted to be suspended upon a'track, a carriage having a depending frame with an opening therethrough and also provided with opposite pairs of rollers, the said rollers being circumferentially grooved and adapted for free movement on the track, and gaskets surrounding the rollers completely within the grooves and bearing upon the hub portions `of the rollers.

2. ln a babyfwalker, adapted to be suspended upon a track, a carriage comprising an upper surrounding railing, a depending frame and a rear seat, an opening being formed through the depending frame in advance of the seat, and rollers on the opposite sides of the carriage to engage the track.

In a baby-walker adapted to be suspended in an elevated position so that the lower extremity thereof will be free of an adjacent surface, a carriage having a depending frame with an opening therethrough, and pairs of rollers on opposite sides of the carriage at such an elevation as to permit the depending frame to be located between the suspending devices on which the rollers are adapted to freely and removably bear.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR C. MAYER, AUG. MUELLER.

When not in use, the track may be dis- IOO IIO 

